A: The beer is clear dark reddish amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense beige head that quickly died down, leaving only a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface that never completely faded away.S: There are light to moderate aromas of dark fruits and yeast in the nose.T: Like the smell, flavors of dark fruits stand out in the taste (cherries, plums and prunes come to mind) and there is some malty sweetness. Hints of spices are noticeable in the finish.M: It feels medium-bodied and relatively smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.O: The beer is relatively easy to drink considering its strength because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-high carbonation, thicker, heavier body than I was expecting but it works. I don't get toasty or caramel flavors some are noting.

Overall: If you are going to discuss what might be perceived differences between a Quad and a BDS - this might be the one to point to. If someone is new to darker brews, you might offer them this as a small aperitif or digestif and when discussing the spectrum of Quads and/or BDS and any potential differences. A solid offering I would come back to. I enjoy drier, slightly warming booze characteristics mixed in with a hint of Caramunich - the only reason it didn't get a 4/5 or higher from me - but, that is my personal preference.

Pours well, gives plenty to soak in from the sharp aroma of chocolate and toffee. It's a strong attack of caramel taste, which is good. I've fallen in love with Belgian brews, and this one caught my eye with 11% by volume. It warms the chest with it's potency, but it's not a killer by any means. Toffee, chocolate, and most of all, caramel. It's deep in taste, but doesn't give much to rave about.

Like most Quads for me, it's a warming beer that seems to fit as a dessert after a meaty meal...something to sip slowly and really enjoy. Glad I picked this one up, hoping it'll make an appearance at the next Belgian Beer Fest I hit up in late February.

Apparently Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik was founded in 1564 and has been run by the same family since 1856. It is the oldest continuously operating brewery in Bruges.

Appearance: Rich, coffee-brown body with a nice ring of sandy foam.

Aroma: Chocolate, coffee, dark fruits. The usual.

Taste: Toasted dark malts, dabs of coffee, and sprinklings of cocoa powder. It's heavy and somber, but very tasty. I get plums and raisins as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Too much carbonation, but otherwise a silky-smooth, thick brew.

Harmony: I like how Staffe Hendrik Quadrupel is less focused on the plums, cherries, raisins, and other dark fruit and more about bringing out roasted, toasted malts. While I like sweet and fruity quads, this was a welcome diversion from the norm.

Would I get it again?:Yes. The fantastic bottle art on the the 750 ml. bottle (matte black label, moon with a face) is a plus.

Medium bodied but a bit light on the carbonation. Slightly chewy with a sticky, sweet lingering mouthfeel.

This beer is very different from what I was expecting. The strong fruitiness was surprising and made for a unique beer. The alcohol is detectable but not overpowering. I would drink it again on occasion but it is definitely not an everyday beer for me.

i'm not sure if my bomber is the same but i'm assuming that the bomber label is different from the pic here.

pours with almost no head. nice dark cloudy cola color. lots of sweet malty aromas. the flavor is a bit young. i can't figure out the vintage but i'm assuming it's a 2014. i think this will round out with age. not as nice as other belgian quads but very drinkable.

T: Pepper and cinnamon up front, transitioning to some dark fruits in the middle and ending with a little spice. Some chocolate notes and also some vinous flavors enter as the beer warms. The flavor is pretty dry overall, almost a stout quality. Towards the end of the glass, some subtle bubblegum joins in.

M: Medium-heavy mouthfeel with considerable creaminess that keeps it buoyant and a lot of smoothness as well.

A: The initial pour is jet black with a dense, compact beige head. The appearance is misleading, however, as the beer proves itself to be garnet in hue when held up to the light. As can be expected of most quadruples, the lacing is great. Really, this is just a great looking beer.

S: The smell is a bit of a disappointment, proving to be simplistic for the style. My nose was greeted by a fiery alcohol scent, and after several attempts, I was just barely able to detect faint aromas of raisins, figs, and prunes.

T: The taste is complex and surprisingly lacking in any sort of alcohol burn, so don't expect there to be a tremendous amount of continuity between the sensations present on the nose and those present on the palate. Notes of raisins, figs, prunes, milk chocolate, woody spice, heavy cream, brandy, and maple syrup are easily detected. The finish is long, rich, and warming with a notable brandy and fruitcake character.

M: Full bodied, slick, and velvety with a prickle of carbonation. An alcohol burn is somewhat noticeable in the mouth, though as I noted in the section above, heavy alcohol flavors are thankfully absent. This ale becomes a bit sticky and syrupy on the finish. In my opinion, it needs a little more balance to be truly successful.

O: I had some difficulty rating this beer because it's so hit-or-miss for me. On the one hand, it looks great and tastes great, while on the other, its smell is not all that appealing and the mouthfeel is a little too boozy for my liking. In the end, this is a fairly solid quadruple, but it has the potential to be so much more.

Taste: The fruity and bread-y notes in the nose are present in the taste with the fruity notes most prominent. It finishes with a combination of fruity sweetness, slight phenols, and some hop bitterness.

Mouth-feel: Body is on the lighter Medium side with a fair level of carbonation.

Overall: Good beer but a step below the top echelon. Priced fairly well.

From notes on 03/24/12:Best by: December 2013; Poured in a pint glass.

A - A normal pour produced so much head that I had to let some of it subside before emptying the rest of the bottle; There was several inches of carbonated, soda-like head with an off-white color; Head retention was excellent, but no lacing was left behind; Dark mahogany in color with a garnet hue

S - Smell is pretty weak overall, making it hard to pick out different aromas; Notes of dark fruits, cherries, acidic grapes, and just a subtle hint of alcohol

T - Decent taste of alcohol here, but it works pretty well with the other flavors present, including black pepper, buttered toast, vanilla, dark fruits, rum, tart/acidic grapes, and caramel; The finish, though long and dry, is not unpleasant with subtle tastes of alcohol, grapes, and dark fruit

M - Moderate carbonation that packs a bit of a sting; Just over medium bodied; Finish is warm, peppery, and dry

O - This quad was a very good interpretation of the style, and one that feels a bit light, but is certainly warming and satisfying. Although this beer doesn't quite reach the top tier of Trappist quads, it's still well above average for the style and one I hope to find and enjoy again soon.